For more than a century, fashion-conscious consumers have relied on the electric hot comb to style their hair—to straighten and smooth coarse hair, or add a wave or curl to fine hair. Much like the clothes iron, the hot comb predated electrification. The original combs, made from ceramic or metal, were heated in a water bath or over a gas burner. The 20th-century electric version provided heat on demand and slightly better temperature regulation. Unfortunately, electricity could not prevent the occasional burned scalp or the pungent smell of singed hair. Sometimes the pursuit of beauty can be painful.
For more on the history of electric hot combs, see https://spectrum.ieee.org/pastforward0919